High school opera singer reaches for her dream

EDGEWOOD – Singing for hundreds of people is the beginning of Natalie Sheppard’s dream, and she’s only just begun.

The Dixie Heights High School senior performed at the Aronoff Center March 1 during the final stage of the Cincinnati Arts Association’s Overture Awards, a regional program to recognize and reward excellence in the arts among high school students.

She said an early love of musical theater led her to start voice lessons nine years ago, and she started studying classical voice, also known as opera, six years ago.

“It’s very pure,” Natalie said. “It’s how I think a voice is supposed to sound. You’re using your whole body as an instrument instead of making a squeaky noise.”

One of her favorite things is sharing opera with her friends, and seeing that they’re pleasantly surprised that they actually like it.

“They realize it’s different than what they expect,” she said. “A lot of people think opera is snobby or you’re not supposed to understand what is going on. They think it’s loud and all high pitched with extreme vibrato, but it’s really healthy singing.”

“While most students are interested in pop music, she enjoys opera and plans to pursue that as her career,” said Joshua Huff, Natalie’s choir director at Dixie.

He said Natalie’s musical tastes aren’t her only sophisticated quality.

“Natalie’s voice is what makes her unique – her voice has a mature quality that is beyond her actual age,” said Huff.

For the Overture Awards program, Natalie performed “Spring” by Dominick Argento, which she said was fun and quirky, and “Nuit d’etoiles,” or “Starry Night” in French, by Claude Debussy, which she described as “deeply dramatic.”

“At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how good of a painter you are, or how good of a singer you are. In all art forms, it doesn’t matter how good you are,” she said. “What matters is what we are able to share about life and about ourselves to other people through our art.”

She has applied to six musical conservatories to pursue a degree in vocal performance, and hopes to raise $3,000 to attend the New York University Classical Voice Intensive Summer Program.

Natalie also hopes to inspire other potential performers to pursue their ambitions.

“Just go after your dreams no matter what. There are so many opportunities in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati that are so close, and so easy to find,” she said. “Your dreams become real with a plan. Search for and find opportunities because they’re out there, and it’s never too late to start.”